Chrysler has announced that it will offer another round of buyouts to its hourly UAW workers. The latest round of buyouts — which is part of Chrysler’s plan to cut another 10,000 unionized jobs — is worth $100,000 per worker and involves 12 Detroit-area plants.
In all, about 14,000 UAW members will be offered the buyout, with 4,600 of those workers being eligible for a retirement package.
The buyouts could be extended to a 13th plant — Chrysler ’s Warren, Michigan facility — which was idled this week to prevent excess inventory. Chrysler is also reportedly in talks with the UAW to offer a similar buyout plan to an addition eight U.S. production facilities. Chrysler offered a buyout deal to workers as four other plants earlier this year.
Auto analysts expect 2008 to be a down year, with some predicting the lowest sales in 15 years. The cuts are in addition to the 13,000 job cuts Chrysler announced last year — totaling nearly half of Chrysler’s unionized factory positions.
